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Twilight Shadows
A Chapter of the 13th 'Dark' founding, the Twilight Shadows are a loyalist chapter descended from Corvus Corax. Like many other Raven Guard successors they are masters of stealth and lightning attacks which sets them at odds with many more brazen chapters such as the Black Templars. Chapter History Founded on the Forest world Scáth, the Twilight Shadows have always been shrouded in secrecy. From their numbers to where they deploy, often none but their chapter master, or Master of Shadow, know. However they do freely reveal most of their history after a full millennium has passed to those who ask. When they were founded the first Master of Shadows Adrian Nightfall held a council, some records say it was with only his officers some say his whole chapter, on how the chapter was to be run as he decided setting precedents for the chapter to follow on the fly was reckless. What entirely went on in that council is unknown to those outside the chapter but the Marines of the Twilight Shadows often refer to it as, 'the second codex'. The first confirmed major actions of the chapter are in M35 during the Moirae Schism during the reign of the Nova Terra Interregnum. During this time the Mechanicus underwent serious internal conflict that threatened the Imperium. In response, and in order to minimize casualties, the Twilight Shadows begin a Twilit Crusade against the major leaders of the radicals. Over the course of the Interregnum they would hound and destroy, Magos, Hereteks, and even Titans who's princeps followed the Moirae doctrine. At one point they even came to blows with the Astartes banished from the Iron Hands chapter (and their successors who later formed the Sons of Medusa chapter) who followed the doctrine though it was only brief and there were few casualties before a truce was called. However even after the Sons of Medusa were held in suspicion by the Twilight Shadows. During 400.M36 to 001.M37 is a vast blank period in the chapters history. What exactly occurred during that period the chapters is entirely unknown as the Twilight Shadows have made extraordinary efforts to destroy any trace of records, from other Astartes chapters, to the Historians on Terra itself. All that remains is word of mouth and stories passed down between inquisitors. Rumors of heresy and treason, tales of a civil war amongst the chapter, and even accusations of Chaos corruption. Whatever the case those six centuries held has been buried deep and official records are missing 2 chapter masters of the Twilight Shadows. In 573.M38 the entirety of the Twilight Shadows attacked and destroyed their allies, the Astartes Scarlet Wardens 2nd company, during a battle against rebels on Gorin-4. In response the Master of Shadows Adrian Nightfall XXVI was called before a conclave of other Astartes Chapter Masters to answer for his actions. During the trial it came to light that during the 2 months they had been fighting together the Twilight Shadows had been quietly gathering information on their allies and coordinating with a nearby inquisitor. When the Inquisitor uncovered evidence that the 2nd company had been corrupted during their battles against the Cultist rebels, the Twilight Shadows decided to strike while they still had the upper hand. Though later evidence proved that many of the officers had indeed fallen to chaos, the revelation that the Twilight Shadows had been working with the Ordo Hereticus of the Inquisition to watch for corruption in the Space Marines since their founding permanently damaged their reputations among the majority of their fellow astartes. From then on the knowledge that while they fought alongside you they were also spying on you would make other Astartes (particularly the Dark Angels) reluctant to work with them. Notable Campaigns Silent Crusade (198.M37-209.M37) War of Shadows (200.M38-400.M38)- A war unlike any other, for 200 years the 2nd Company of the Twilight Shadows would engage in a war of proxies with the traitor Alpha Legion, each side manipulating other allied forces all while trying to discern the location of the enemies main force. Ended when the Twilight Shadows managed to ambush the Alpha Legion fleet and destroy a major portion of it before it escaped. While the Imperium holds it as a victory the Twilight Shadows know better, they may have destroyed one branch of the Alpha Legion but there are dozens moe out there at work. 6th War of Exaltation (532.M40)-''' One of the larger crusades of the century, the 6th War of Exaltation was led by the Exalted Paladins Astartes Chapter and included support from 12 Astra Militarum regiments as well as 2 other Astartes chapters; the Ashen Thanes and the Twilight Shadows. The latter was a surprise as both the Exalted Paladins and the Ashen Thanes actively despised the Twilight Shadows due to both their stealthier tactics, as well as the knowlage that the Twilight Shadows would be actively gathering information on them. The target of the Crusade was the Ork Empire of the Great Warboss Gitsmash Bonebreaka in the south Segmentum Pacificus which had grown large enough to pose a significant threat. With incredible momentum the 2 forces clashed, the furious zeal of the Exalted Paladins driving the crusade on towards the center of the empire like a bolt through flesh. When they reached the planet of the Ork Warboss the crusade ground to a halt as, while the Imperial Forces held the edge in firepower, the Ork reinforcements from the rest of the Empire seemed endless. Ork fleets were blasted to flaming wreckage crashing down on the planets surface only to be rebuilt into new fleets. only through numerous orbital bombardments upon the planets great scrapyards were the Imperial forces able to gain any head way. With casualties mounting higher and higher and the Ork warboss protected by a powerful shield from orbital bombardment, the Exalted Paladins King decided to end the Ork WAAAGH by killing the Warboss and had the Ashen Thanes and his own paladins land on the planet to try and fight their way to the Warboss. With Thanes and Paladins fighting side by side even Orks had no chance in close combat against them. The Warboss was more cunning than they thought however and he began to send Orks more specialized in heavy firepower to counter the more close combat oriented Astartes. After losing 5 squads to a pair of Gargants and things looked their grimmest, the onslaught slowed. As the Astartes wondered what had changed, the Orks still fighting them were suddenly wiped out by a surprise attack from the Twilight Shadows. While the Orks had been distracted by the Thanes and Paladins, the Twilight Shadows had flanked them as well as planting numerous motion activated bombs to cover their rear. With the Twilight Shadows covering the flanks the Astartes force was able to easily reach the warboss who was quickly overrun by the combined might of the Astartes. With the Warboss dead the Empire quickly broke down into smaller factions warring for control and became easy prey for the Imperial Forces. After enacting numerous Exterminatus, the Ork threat was abolished and the chapters parted ways. '''Damocles Gulf Crusade (742-749.M41)- Among the many Imperial Forces who engaged in the first war against the Tau were the Twilight Shadows. Unlike other Imperial forces, the Twilight Shadows quickly saw that open confrontation was the wrong way to attack the heavy firepower of the Tau and adapted their ambush techniques to compensate. Fighting on the outskirts of the main forces, rumors would reach back to the Tau leadership of squadrons and sometimes whole armies disappearing and of a shadowy force that would spring from nowhere and leave naught but corpses in its wake. In 745.M41 while the majority of the Imperial Forces would sign a peace treaty in order to end the war, to fight against the Tyranids the Twilight Shadows chose to disavow themselves in order to keep fighting. They would continue to harass the Tau for a further 4 years, the Tau at a loss on how to fight this seemingly invisible enemy that struck at random and defied their best scanners. It is said that the Shadow Archives on Scáth hold vast amounts of information on Tau technology, tactics, and physiology that even the Deathwatch lacks. Chapter Gene-seed Like many other 13th founding chapters, the Twilight Shadows have modified gene-seed. What the modifications were isn't entirely known but it's suspected that it was an attempt to undo the damage done in the Horus Heresy. It was, to an extent, successful in that most Twilight Shadows gene-seed is recoverable making them less dependent on resupplies from Terra, as well as the Melenchromatic Organ functioning properly meaning that Twilight Shadows Marines don't pale over time. On the downside their gene-seed is remarkably dangerous at the start with a 75-80% fatality rate. Another flaw resulting from the gene-seed tampering is that Twilight Shadows have notably more photosensitive eyes than other Astartes, though whether this results from damage to the occulobe or simply is a result of the dim lighting of their planet is unknown. Chapter Home World Scáth The Home World of the Twilight Shadows, Scáth, is a vast Forest World, larger than Terra but with lighter gravity as it has a hollow core. The star the planet orbits is a small white star surrounded by a vast cloud of dust. The dim light that reaches Scáth means that at noon day it is scarcely brighter than twilight on Holy Terra. Despite the dimness of the light however, Scáth remains a temperate planet and has only slight variations in weather between seasons. Orbiting the planet are two moons of roughly equal size, Bán which is white and reflective of the light from the dim star, and Folahm, which is pitch black and appears to be a black void blocking out the stars from the surface. Lacking any oceans or mountain ranges most of the surface of the planet is covered in vast forests. Many of the trees grow to vast heights and lack any sort of bright coloration as they have to absorb as much light as possible. This leads to a strange colorless appearance on the planet as the sky varies between shades of white, gray, and black, while the brightest colors to be found among the flora and fauna are dark greens and browns. Trees range from plants scarcely taller than a man, to vast giants towering hundreds of meters, each forest on the planet being dominated by a different species, though examples of each can be found in every forest. The dark smooth wood of these trees is often traded throughout the Imperium and is commonly seen in the offices of Inquisitors and rouge traders for the exotic air of mystery it gives. The people of Scáth are taller than the Imperial average and tend to be lanky. The language of the planet is melange of Low Gothic and the planets old native language Gallan. While towns can be found in many place across the planet, built in glens and the few open fields across the planet, the cites are carved out of the groves of Giant trees. With each tree standing on average half a kilometer tall, it is not difficult for the natives of the planet to carve out hundreds of homes and small businesses out of the trees vast trunks with those nearer to the tops being more important than those below. As a necessity for travel in such environments all natives learn how to climb with great skill, as falls from higher up can mean serious injury or death, nets are strung between the trees to act as bridges as well as catch those who slip. Given how the trees fruit are also nutritious and often supplemented with food grown or raised at the base of the trees, its said among the cities that there are those who live out their lives having never touched the ground. As if in direct opposition to the bleak appearance of their world, the planets culture is a optimistic and friendly one. Scáth is one of the few Astartes homeworlds to trade with other planets, and many a merchant and rouge trader has been unsettled by the cheerfulness of the inhabitants of this colorless world. As a result of the lack of natural coloring however color itself has come to be something of a sacred concept as the only real colors to be found are in peoples eyes and the stars themselves. Any item gained through trade from offworld thus has to pass inspection of the planets religious leaders. Colored objects not related to worship of the God-Emperor are typically held as heretical and blacked by burning in the strangely white and colorless flames produced by burning the wood of the trees. The Glades Unlike other chapters the Fortress-Monastery of the Twilight Shadows is not in any single location, but rather spread out throughout a 50 kilometer radius area called The Glades. Hidden deep within the tallest forests, it harbors all the faculties of a regular Fortress-Monastery as well as a secret vault called the Shadow Archives which contains all the information gathered by the Twilight Shadows (such as preferred enemy tactics, layouts of tens of thousands of fortresses and star ships, and other such information). Chapter Culture The Twilight Shadows are remarkably unique among Raven Guard successors, (and many other chapters) in the liveliness and openness of their chapter. Mimicking the cheerful nature of their mortal neighbors allows them to resist the lure of the shadows that afflicts so many of their brethren as well as helping facilitate communication between Battle-Brothers. They also use this to great affect gathering information during their crusades. They have learned the strengths and weaknesses of a thousand regiments and a thousand fortresses simply by speaking with the Imperial guard alone, thus if the imperial force ever rebels the Twilight Shadows can simply call upon their records on how to more easily destroy the rebel/traitor. Also like their mortal neighbors, they retain an almost religious attitude towards colorful objects. It is said that many marines are dazzled upon their first outing of how much color exists outside their Home World. It can hardly be surprised that magpie-like tendencies would emerge with many marines taking trophies from fallen enemies (chosen often not for the greatness of the enemy but for the variety and intensity of colors). The chapters chaplains thus have to work hard to suppress any forms of stealing and limit the amount of trophies any one marine can claim. Lastly and most unusually, the Marines of the Twilight Shadows, once they survive the initial gene-seed implants (which filters out most of those who die during implantation), they choose a false name to go by. What names they choose and how long they use them depend on the marine in question and only the chapters apothecaries will know all the Astartes names. For a Twilight Shadow to tell anyone their real name is considered the ultimate sign of trust among the chapter, and it is rarely given to outsiders. Likewise the Master of Shadows (Chapter Master) traditionally uses the name of the chapters first Master of Shadows, Adrian Nightfall. Chapter Organization The Twilight Shadows claim to be a codex-compliant chapter and are likely patterned after their predecessors, the Raven Guard. While they refuse to disclose their numbers, given the fact that they are continually recruiting, their casualty reducing tactics, and the low survival rate of their gene-seed implantation leads most imperial scholars to believe they maintain a full 1000 marines. With the Introduction of Primaris Marines the Twilight Shadows like many of their brethren accepted these new warriors into their chapter. However they have no Reiver squads instead using Primaris Marines as Hellblasters and Aggressors claiming that the larger Marines are more suitable for fire support than stealth replacing their Devastator Marines with them. The 9th Company is used to train those chosen to become Primaris Marines who are typically those less indisposed to stealth. Those who are more skilled at stealth are trained as Tactical Marines. Thus the Chapter became noticeably non-codex compliant with the introduction of Primaris Marines. Chapter Wargear & Fleet Fleet The Twilight Shadows maintain a modest fleet of 1 battle-barge and 11 strike cruisers as well as assorted support craft. What is notable is that that they do not use their battle-barge Storm Shelter as a warship but rather as a secondary fortress monastery where companies can come to rearm or train between deployments. Also unusual is that they are one of the few Raven Guard successors to still utilize reflex shield technology to effectively cloak their warships. they have gotten so good at cloaking their warships that it's said that the only way to detect one is to run into it. Dorchtine On the moon Folahm, orbiting Scáth, is found a unique ore called Dorchtine. Among it's unique properties it is almost completely sound and light absorbent, though is a relatively soft metal. Most interesting is how it actually will grow very slowly over time as it converts the absorbed light and sound into additional mass. This means that over time, weapons and armor will have to have the new additional mass shaved off, though this is not a regular occurrence. Unique Wargear * Mark VI Corax Power Armor- 'The Twilight Shadows make wide use of a modified variant of Mk VI Corvus power armor dubbed 'Corax' in honor of the Primarch. Altered by including trace amount of the light/sound absorbent Dorchtine at joints. While the Dorchtine makes the armor quieter and more resilient to lasers it also makes it slightly more vulnerable to kinetic attacks. * '''Virtuan Boost Packs- '''Similar in function to standard Jump Packs, boost packs use gravity plates in order to make nearly silent jumps allowing the Astartes to traverse terrain quickly and silently. The boost packs are extraordinarily rare, and are powered by energy packs that cannot be recharged in the field and are difficult to replace. * '''Scáth Pattern Lightning claws-' Made using Dorchtine, these lightning claws are easily the most popular form of power weapon in the chapter. The Dorchtine construction, though more easily broken by other power weapons, eliminates the soft blue glow of the power field as well as the quite hum. Variations of both pre-heresy talons as well as post heresy lightning claws have been seen. * 'Bolt Casters-' Used in silent infiltration and sabotage missions by scout marines, Bolt Casters, despite the name, are not actually related to bolters. Instead they use gravitic acceleration to launch a large spear, or 'bolt', at high sub-sonic speeds virtually silently. Bolts used range from shock bolts used to destroy enemy electronics, to explosive bolts that have a micro explosive head that detonates after hitting using the victims body to muffle the sound while liquefying organs. Relics * ''Shaded Armor''-''' The Twilight Shadows are unusual in that they have no Terminator Armor nor Terminator squads, stating that such heavy and loud warriors would be unhelpful to their stratagems. Instead they use a form of artificer armor called Shaded Armor. Each set is a masterwork plated with Dorchtine in such a way that it does not lose any of it's strength. Worn by Astartes of the 1st company as well as Captains and the chapters Honor guard. * Byrne Bolter''-''' Named after the Techmarine who made them, the Byrne Bolters are Masterwork Bolters of a supreme quality. Designed to hide any sort of muzzle flare as well as mute the sound of the initial firing it is difficult for any enemy to pinpoint the location of the shooter. Used primarily by the chapters Honor guard. * Armor of Twilight-''' The combined work of generations of Techmarines to match the Raven Guards fabled Armour of Shadows. After nearly 2 millennia of failure, finally a set of armor of similar qualities was made. Using what had been made so far combined with the legendary Techmarine Byrne's crowning achievement, the Crown of Shadows ''Helmet, they managed to match the Raven Guards unnatural relic. The ''Armor of Twilight silently confounds all sensors and transmitters in it's vicinity, even masking the wearers warp presence, while the Crown of Shadows somehow creates an aura of darkness obscuring the wearer from sight. Worn by the Master of Shadows. * ''Edge of the Abyss & True Peace''- A pair of Lightning claws made by Techmarine Byrne. Masterwork in every sense of the word they are of the pattern used pre-heresy. Both include a wrist mounted gun, Edge of the Abyss ''a plasma pistol, ''True Peace a Bolter. Used typically by the Master of Shadows. * ''Snowfall-'' Wielded by the 2nd Captain, Snowfall ''is a master-crafted power sword known for both its the silence of its operation as well as the unnatural chill the weapon lets off. Chapter Combat Tactics Like all Raven Guard successors the Twilight Shadows rely heavily on stealth. They have mastered the skill of the silent infiltration to the point where even fully power armored Astartes are able to move silently. While their tactics are often slandered by other chapters such as the Space Wolves, the Twilight Shadows simply see them as logical and a way of reducing casualties that are difficult to replace. Their basic combat strategy can be put down to three stages; peace, chaos, war. Peace During this stage the enemy, (and often allies) are still unaware of the Chapters presence on the planet. during this time the chapter sends down a force of scout and tactical marines to strike at points where the enemies watch is weakest. At this time the objective is still stealth and the marines move with utmost silence, helmets tracking enemy's field of vision, sound, and numbers. During this time the scouts will plant teleportation beacons at strategic locations as well as remote bombs in strategic locations (engines, power lines, and munition depots) all with utmost silence to avoid raising enemy suspicion. The tactical marines will approach as a group of shadows from where the enemies guard is weakest and begin silently killing as many people as possible while avoiding alarms. They will hide bodies, use chemicals to clean up pools of blood, and avoid killing near cameras and guard positions. The tactical marines will typically be armed with Dorchtine power weapons or bolt casters to avoid making noise. Sometimes they are never noticed until too late and the entire fortress falls, all without a single alarm or fight. Chaos Eventually almost every infiltration is discovered, whether an alarm is sounded, or the enemy has time to open fire, or sabotage is discovered. When that happens, the scouts set off the bombs planted previously to draw enemy attention and make them think they are under external attack. While the enemies attention is thus distracted the tactical and scout marines make their escape, being poorly armed for direct combat typically. While the enemy is still trying to recover from their confusion the third stage starts. War Before the enemy pieces what has happened together, the chapter takes its opportunity to strike. Attacking any known weak points in enemy formations and fortresses, often supported by other Imperial Forces, the Twilight Shadows use the enemies distraction to deadly effect. Using the previously planted teleportation beacons to insert Dreadnoughts where the enemy least expects. While most Xenos and chaos forces will still fight to the death, most rebels will typically surrender at this point. Infiltrators Working independent of the main force, Infiltrators instead of sabotage focus on information gathering and assassination. While the Scouts and Tactical Marines will kill to avoid detection, the Infiltrators target enemy leaders and champions, both because doing so cripples the enemy strength and because that is where the most information is likely to be found. Infiltrators are the elite of the chapter and, though mostly unknown outside of the chapter, are typically the Chapter's officers such as Captains. While those few who do know may wonder why they would risk the lives of their best like that, the reason is simple; they have often over a century of experience and are able to preform the role with greater success and fewer risks than others. If a Captain takes to the field as an Infiltrator he will still remain in command, as well as communication, with the rest of his company. To their credit, the Twilight Shadows are skilled in undetectable communications that an Infiltrator's communications have never been intercepted in the field. Because of the skill necessary to preform this role, as well as the risks involved, Infiltrators are used only rarely. Notable Astartes '''Techmarine Byrne-' During M36 the chapter struck the proverbial gold when they recruited the Astartes later known as Byrne. It quickly became apparent during his training that he was well suited to work with technology and was selected to become a Tech-marine. Over the next 2 centuries of his service his skill as an artificer would continue to grow seemingly without limit. Dozens of his creations or modifications were of sufficient quality to be considered relics. His crowning achievements being the Crown of Shadows and the Lightning claws, Edge of the Abyss and True Peace. Sadly his role as a Techmarine came to crash in 373.M36 when the strike cruiser he was on came under heavy fire from Chaos forces. Injured beyond recovery he was interred in a mighty dreadnought as a final honor for the great services he preformed for his chapter. '2nd Captain Glacis Highros "The Angel of Frost"-' One of the most well known of the chapters captains, he is one of the few Twilight Shadows marines to escape the distrust of other chapters due to his valor in battle. Leading Assault Marines into the thick of battle he wears a Jump pack modified to resemble wings and wields a relic power sword called Snowfall ''due to both the quietness of its operation, as well as the chill it lets off. '''Master of Shadows Adrian Nightfall-' Just as all the marines of the Twilight Shadows assume false names upon becoming a full Astartes, likewise the Master of Shadows (sometimes referred to as Master of Twilight) always assumes the name of the first Master of Shadows, Adrian Nightfall. Over the Millennia since their founding there have been a total of 30 Masters of Shadows. The current Master of Shadows, Adrian Nightfall XXX, is a particularly deadly Astartes. Said to have inherited Corax's 'Shadow-Walk', and clad in the Armor of Twilight his Chapter boasts that he can walk in the middle of a active warzone undetected. Outside of his chapter, fewer than 10 people know what he looks like. Armed with the relic lightning claws Edge of the Abyss & True Peace even tanks and dreadnoughts turn up shredded after battles. Relations ''Add you own Allies Inquisition (Ordo Hereticus)- At their founding, the Twilight Shadows were tasked with keeping a subtle watch on their fellow Astartes for corruption. In return the Inquisition has ensured that the Twilight Shadows are always well armed and armored as they were intended to fight other Astartes. While the two have a close relationship they are still distinctly separate from each other. Astartes (Raven Guard, Salamanders, Ultramarines)- While many of their fellow Astartes distrust them, some chapters still maintain positive relations with them. As successors of the Raven Guard, the Twilight Shadows prefer fighting alongside Astartes who also understand the concept of stealth. The Salamanders and their successors stay close due to both being survivors of the Drop Site Massacre. Both share a deep hatred for the Tratiors that turn on them that day. Lastly, as one of the most renowned chapters in the Imperium, the Ultramarines have little to hide from the Twilight Shadows. Astra Militarum- While they are not close to any regiment in particular (and feel little affection for them anyways) the men and women of the Imperial Guard consider it a stroke of luck to fight alongside the Twilight Shadows, given the strange friendliness (used to gather information) of the Space Marines. Helping that, the Astartes of the Twilight Shadows are great believers of efficient use of resources and are unlikely to enact strategies that require massive sacrifices as they are viewed as wasteful. Enemies Astartes (Black Templars, Space Wolves, Iron Hands)- While many Astartes distrust the Twilight Shadows due to their closeness to the Inquisition, the Black Templars, Space Wolves, and Iron Hands (as well as several of their successors) outright refuse to work with them. Both the Black Templars and the Space Wolves are highly Codex divergent chapters with poor relations to the Inquisition as well as viewing the Twilight Shadows as cowards due to their more stealth oriented tactics. The Iron Hands have distrusted the Twilight Shadows ever since their clash during the Moirae Schism. Chaos (Word Bearers, Alpha Legion)- While the Twilight Shadows hate all who turn from the Emperor's light, they reserve a special hatred for the Word Bearers and Alpha Legion. Chapter Colors The Twilight Shadows are renowned for their unusual heraldry. The only markings used to differentiate Astartes are the Chapter emblem of a black tree on a dark green back ground. What kind of tree and their size differs between marines and is apparently used by the Twilight Shadows to differentiate between their battle-brothers. They lack any sort of numbering and their right pauldron is left blank making it difficult for those outside their chapter to tell if they are dealing with a novice in the 9th company, or a veteran of the 1st. Only high ranking officers are allowed different gear, captains often have pitch black armor designed to make them nearly invisible and librarians tend to wear cloaks with psychic runes that allow them to disguise themselves. Quotes By Them About them Add your own Category:Imperium Category:Raven Guard Successors Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:13th Founding